Plastic film label stock is in widespread use, being less expensive than metal label stock and more durable than paper label stock. Usually both the plastic film backing and the adhesive layer are quite thin to minimize edge scuffing and accumulation of dirt at the edges of an applied label. While the plastic film backing should have sufficient integrity to permit the label stock to be handled in commerce and preferably able to withstand die-cutting into labels, it sometimes is designed to be brittle so as to break into small pieces if any effort is made to remove an applied label.
The ink-receiving surface of the plastic film backing is usually given an adhesion-promoting treatment, for example, by corona discharge or by the application of an ultrathin primer coating. Even so, there has been a long-felt need for improved adhesion between ordinary printing inks and the plastic film backing so as to provide improved resistance of the printing to abrasion.